Book reviews by someone who loves books …

High Wages – Dorothy Whipple (Persephone)

A 1930 novel by Persephone Books’ most popular writer about a girl who sets up a dress shop.

I have become a great fan of Dorothy Whipple – and have loved each of the novels re- published by Persephone that I have read. Although prehaps not quite as powerful as Someone at a Distance, or They were Sisters, this 1930 novel is still brilliant. Dorothy Whipple’s portrayal of a northern mill- town around the time of the first world war is wonderful, full of believable characters and social commentary. The central character is Jane, an ambitious young girl, now alone in the world who arrives in Tidsley in 1912 to begin work as an assistant in a draper’s shop. Jane is quite a feminist in own way, she dreams of independence, and doesn’t baulk at casting an eye at a married man – which is something Dorothy Whipple heroines in later books would not have done. This is a less moralistic novel than the other Dorothy Whipple novels I have read, in many ways not a lot happens. Over the course of about 10 years we see Jane develop into a pretty savvy business woman, she makes some good friends, and achieves more than she could possibly have dreamt of when starting out. A really enjoyable read, and I hope there will be more DW novels published by Persephone soon.